Wondering if there has been a change with the development of youth players in the game in general, at our Club, and a change in the fanbase's views on it as well as quite frankly my own.
I used to watch all our Academy and reserve games on MUTV and write match reports on them for the Cafe many years ago. Now even though I have MUTV again (for free) I never watch it. I remember when Luke Chadwick went past 5 players to score in the reserves, remember praising Mads Timm to the hilt and going to see him play against Maccabi Haifa and us losing 3-0 I think and subsequently self-destructing and disappearing. Think I lost a little bit of faith in youth development because of that. But I do notice that there seems to be an increased gap to jump between the U18's and the first team.
Back then we had the reserves rather than under 23s and it was normal to have first team squad players playing in it to get fitness and sharpness. Now even the likes of McTominay and Tuanzebe barely play in it and the quality level of competition has decreased. The u23s is practically full of players who will struggle to have a Premier League career and next to no chance of one at United. If you don't come through while U20 you probably won't at all.
Our loans almost always don't work out well and end up with the player not playing at all and their clubs managers being changed. CBJ broke through to our first team and put in better crosses than Shaw has ever done but has now wasted two seasons not playing due to terrible loans, and seems set for recall. While Pereira and TFM are loaned despite being ready for first team action. Chelsea's loan system while we laugh at it does seem to have at least a clear economic strategy behind it. Even City with their Spanish branch seem to have a strategy. We really need another partnership with a club to act as a nursery.
Even our youth players in the first team squad almost never play. TFM had a misssd season and now its Tuanzebe's turn. Fergie used to use the early rounds of the Cups to blood them but they don't even get that now.
When some players develop slowly like Lingard how are we supposed to develop them? And has the game got so competitive now that we can't afford to carry inconsistent young players like Rashford and would be better going for players in their prime and loaning out such prospects until they can be relied upon? Or learning from the Pogba and Evanz experience and selling early but with buy back clauses?
There just seems to be a wider gap than before when it was a hard jump already and no clear system in place between ages 18-24.
What do you think?
I used to watch all our Academy and reserve games on MUTV and write match reports on them for the Cafe many years ago. Now even though I have MUTV again (for free) I never watch it. I remember when Luke Chadwick went past 5 players to score in the reserves, remember praising Mads Timm to the hilt and going to see him play against Maccabi Haifa and us losing 3-0 I think and subsequently self-destructing and disappearing. Think I lost a little bit of faith in youth development because of that. But I do notice that there seems to be an increased gap to jump between the U18's and the first team.
Back then we had the reserves rather than under 23s and it was normal to have first team squad players playing in it to get fitness and sharpness. Now even the likes of McTominay and Tuanzebe barely play in it and the quality level of competition has decreased. The u23s is practically full of players who will struggle to have a Premier League career and next to no chance of one at United. If you don't come through while U20 you probably won't at all.
Our loans almost always don't work out well and end up with the player not playing at all and their clubs managers being changed. CBJ broke through to our first team and put in better crosses than Shaw has ever done but has now wasted two seasons not playing due to terrible loans, and seems set for recall. While Pereira and TFM are loaned despite being ready for first team action. Chelsea's loan system while we laugh at it does seem to have at least a clear economic strategy behind it. Even City with their Spanish branch seem to have a strategy. We really need another partnership with a club to act as a nursery.
Even our youth players in the first team squad almost never play. TFM had a misssd season and now its Tuanzebe's turn. Fergie used to use the early rounds of the Cups to blood them but they don't even get that now.
When some players develop slowly like Lingard how are we supposed to develop them? And has the game got so competitive now that we can't afford to carry inconsistent young players like Rashford and would be better going for players in their prime and loaning out such prospects until they can be relied upon? Or learning from the Pogba and Evanz experience and selling early but with buy back clauses?
There just seems to be a wider gap than before when it was a hard jump already and no clear system in place between ages 18-24.
What do you think?